Bronx Bomber Ball

The 2019 New York Yankees have been riddled with injuries from the beginning of the season.   That statement is no exaggeration. Photo Credit: Getty Images Before the season even officially began, Didi Gregorius found himself on the Injured List after undergoing Tommy John surgery.   Giancarlo Stanton’s first injury of 2019 came in the form of a biceps injury, then a shoulder injury, then a calf injury and finally, a knee sprain during one of the nine games he played throughout the season.   Fans looked forward to the return of Miguel Andjuar, only to have him sidelined with a labrum injury from May 21 onward.   Aaron Hicks didn’t make his 2019 season debut until May 19 thanks to an injury to his back.   And mostly everyone forgot about the likes of Ben Heller and… dare I say it… Jacoby Ellsbury.   Oh, and Greg Bird finding himself injured once again, seemingly eliminating any battle for the job at first base between him and Luke Voit...

After a regular season that was marred by injuries, we are down to just the last few games and the playoffs are just over a week away. Despite a comical slew of injuries, the Yankees have punched their ticket to the postseason and have also managed to get back most of their major contributors. While they will head into the ALDS with as close to their “Death Star” lineup as we’ve seen all season, there are a few players that will not make it back for this year’s Yankees and one of the most notable is Dellin Betances.  Credit: Bill Kostroun/AP

Aaron Boone, rightfully so, is a candidate for the 2019 American League Manager of the Year. While the baseball community at large isn’t surprised by this candidacy, it’s safe to say that Boone, in spite of leading the Yankees to 100 wins, was not in the running in 2018.   Boone faced his fair share of critics in his rookie year as the Yankees’ manager, and filled the shoes of a predecessor who brought a very different management style to the Bronx (a style that fans grew used to after ten years of loyal service).   So, what brought Boone over the top during the 2019 season?   Why wasn’t 100 wins and a playoff bid as a rookie manager enough to be considered for the honors of Manager of the Year last year? Why is Boone already a top contender for the award? Photo Credit: The Athletic

Heading into their final five regular season games of the 2019 season, the Yankees have wrapped up most of their business, with just a few loose ends left over.   The Yankees just concluded their final regular season homestand this past week, taking two of three from both the Angels and Blue Jays, wrapping up their first AL East crown in seven years in the process.   The final homestand saw the Yankees hit the 100-win mark for the second consecutive season, the return of Luis Severino (who dominated in his two appearances) and Giancarlo Stanton, as well as the final regular season start for future Hall of Famer Carsten Charles Sabathia.   CC was honored with an emotional ceremony on Sunday afternoon, his last ever regular season game at Yankee Stadium.

With the playoffs coming up in just over a month, the end of the season looms near. Furthermore, there’s several significant decisions to be made this offseason for the Yankees. For one, the front office must figure out the starting rotation situation. The retirement of CC Sabathia and underperformances of a few starters in 2019 means they’ll look to possibly execute some reinforcements, such as free agent right-hander Gerrit Cole. Past that though, the free agency of infielder Didi Gregorius sits atop the priority checklist. Photo Credit: Julio Cortez/AP

As the Yankees head down the final stretch of the regular season they will look to their minor league system for reinforcements to help them close out the year. They could activate up to 40 players but most likely will only call up a couple of guys. Here is a list of some of the players who could get the call: Clint Frazier : The time has come for Frazier to finally return to the Yankees. He has spent most of the season in the minors after struggling defensively but his bat will help the Yankees close out the season. In 53 major league games this year Frazier slashed .283/.330/.513. Frazier could get at bats at DH while the Yankees wait for the return of Luke Voit, Giancarlo Stanton, and Edwin Encarnacion. Photo Credit: Newsday

The Yankees took a trip out to the West Coast this week for two three-game sets against the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Dodgers. The first series in California led to an embarrassing three-game sweep of the Yankees by Oakland. However, the Bombers took the series in LA, winning two out of three against the Dodgers this Players’ Weekend.  Photo via @Yankees on Twitter

After what can only be described as a difficult series in Oakland last week, the Yankees went on to face the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers and took two out of three games.   While not a sweep, the outcome of Dodgers’ series was exactly the type of outcome that restored fan confidence in the Yankees, especially with the postseason approaching in just over a month.   They are still firmly in first place in the American League East, with a full nine-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays.  

The Yankees continued their efforts to bolster the bullpen Friday afternoon, claiming right-hander Cory Gearrin from the Seattle Mariners. To make room on the 40-man roster, Domingo Acevedo was released. Gearrin becomes the latest addition to the depth chart – the Yankees have added relievers Trevor Rosenthal, David Hernandez, Ryan Dull, and Joe Mantiply this month alone. Photo Credit: Stephen Brashear/AP

Throughout an injury-plagued season for the Yankees, the team has seen the likes of Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, and Luis Severino on the shelf for extended periods of time. Stanton remains out heading into September and Severino has yet to make an appearance this season. But, one setback that may be even more significant than the   others is that of Luke Voit. Don’t get me wrong, the Bombers put together a solid platoon led by DJ LeMahieu, who continues to play Gold Glove defense at three of the infield spots and that bat is just a cherry on top. Along with Mike Ford, while playing solid defense over at first, his hitting does not come near what Voit does in the middle of the lineup. Photo Credit: Kathy Willens/AP